Spotify, the king of music streaming, has announced an exclusive partnership with the Sprint network. Clearly wanting to make the most of the deal, Sprint has also revealed a music-focused version of the new HTC One M8 smartphone, complete with Harman/Kardon enhancements.
Starting May 9, Sprint customers can start to enjoy Spotify’s plans at a discounted rate. Those who are connected to the new Sprint Framily Plan will get a 6 month trial of Spotify Premium for free. From there, Framily Plan members will pay between $5 and $8 for Spotify Premium each month, depending on the size of the Framily. A Framily consisting of between 1-5 members will pay $8, while Framilys of 6-10 have their price dropped down to $5.
The Framily Plan deal for Spotify Premium mirrors the plan itself, bringing the price down the more members are on board. It does not appear that every member of the Framily has to take part in order to get the discounted price – it’s simply available to Framilys of the designated size. If you’re not in a Framily, you can still get a 3 month trial of Spotify Premium for free. After the trial period ends, you’ll be forced to pay the standard $10 a month for Spotify Premium’s service, if you wish to continue.
With six months of Spotify Premium for free, the Framily Plan deal for the streaming service works out as a huge benefit for Sprint customers. Not only do they get a discounted price, but they also save between $30 and $48 up front. That means the first year of Spotify Premium membership will only cost $4 a month for those with 1-5 members and an absurdly cheap $2.50 a month for those with 6-10 members. Even those on a standard plan bring their effective cost down to $7.50 a month for the first year of Spotify Premium thanks to the 3 month trial period.
To celebrate the Spotify deal, Sprint also announced a new exclusive handset, the HTC One M8 Harman/Kardon edition. The new phone is designed with music in mind, and it’s not just about branding. It utilizes two new technologies to restore frequencies lost during compression and improve audio quality for streaming music. The device will also come with Harman/Kardon earbuds, valued at $150. The phone will be available online on May 2, and in store starting May 9, with the option to buy the device for 24 monthly payments of $28.34.
Combined with the new offer for Spotify Premium, Sprint is making a push to be the carrier of choice for music lovers, and banking on the appeal of accessibility and affordability. Spotify has a wide user base, but will they be happy to swap networks just to get it cheaper? We’ll find out on May 9 just how important music truly is to mobile users.
